


The Arena

by Shi_Toyu



Category: Naruto
Genre: BAMF Uzumaki Naruto, Blood, Blood and Gore, Child Abuse, Cruelty, Enemies to Friends, Fights, Friendship, Human Experimentation, Kidnapping, Killing, Loss of Identity, M/M, Memory Loss, Mind Control, Naruto is a Good Friend, Near Death Experiences, Orochimaru is Sick
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-22
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-03-19 03:43:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 20,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3595071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_Toyu/pseuds/Shi_Toyu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Sasuke…I need you to pay attention. Try and remember what happened. Where's Naruto?"<br/>"He's gone! He's gone and I couldn't do anything!"</p><p>...</p><p>"Welcome to The Arena. I built it for you."</p><p>When Naruto is taken while on the the mission with Tazuna the bridge builder, things go terribly wrong. Not only has Naruto disappeared, but Zabuza and Haku right along with him. The team has no choice but to return to Konoha without the blonde...and so the search begins. But what is happening to Naruto while so much time passes? Will he be able to retain his true character through his trials?</p><p>*Very short first chapter and then longer chapters after.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Only the Beginning

Strong arms pulled the blonde haired boy close, a face nuzzling into his locks. Sighing, the blonde blinked away the last of his tears and lifted his face to stare up at the majestic raven who held him. His voice came out softly, barely a murmur, but his companion easily caught every word.

"I don't think I can take this anymore. The taunts, the beatings, things being thrown at me, they're just too much…"

"Then come away with me, Naruto. We can go someplace far away and no one will ever find us. I'd make sure of it."

The blonde gaped openly at the serious face of the man holding him, hardly daring to believe the words he'd yearned to hear were coming out of his mouth. His hands gripped the raven's shirt tightly, afraid that it was all a dream or some cruel joke.

"You'd do that for me? You'd give up everything?" Reality settled in to the blonde's mind. "I can't let you do that! None of the villagers have any idea who the real me is. You're the only person who truly cares and can make everything better. You're the only one who's ever made the pain go away. Yet I can't do anything for you! So I won't let you give up everything just for someone like me."

The man caught hold of Naruto's chin and kissed him softly.

"Everything? My dear, the only thing I have anymore is you. You are the only thing that matters. I would be giving up nothing and even gaining more time with my beloved. What you seem to think of as such a great sacrifice is in fact nothing more than an act of my own selfish desires to keep you all to myself. Why should I have to share you with those," he paused as he seemed to search for an appropriate term, "…wretches who would hurt you anyway they can. We could leave right now if you wish, and I could not be happier."

The boy's bright blue eyes gazed up hopefully at his companion.

"Really, Itachi?"

The older Uchiha gave a miniscule smile and pressed his lips to Naruto's forehead.

"Of course. Have you learned nothing in all the time we have been together, little one? I love you, Naruto. I would do anything for you."

The blonde smiled sedately at his love, not nearly as hyper and uncontrolled as his persona made him seem. His idiocy was just a mask he wore to fool those in the village who felt extremely threatened by him.

"I love you, too, Itachi. Of course I'd be overjoyed to come with you if that's what you want." The Uchiha's expression barely shifted, but Naruto could tell that he was very happy. "However, I can't leave just yet…"

Itachi's eyes narrowed.

"Why not? Has someone hurt you? Have they threatened you? You know I can take care of them for you, Naruto."

The young ninja smiled at his love's protectiveness. It never failed to cheer him up and make him feel wanted.

"No, it's nothing like that. I have my Land of Waves mission tomorrow. It's gonna be pretty boring and simple, but I want a chance to say goodbye to my team. I know I haven't been with them long, but they've been a lot better to me than the rest of the village. I won't let slip that I'm leaving, but I want to make sure that they know I care about them before I go. They should know how much I appreciate everything they have done for me, even if they weren't aware they were doing anything."

The raven nodded in complete understanding, wishing he'd been able to tell his brother how much he'd cared instead of making the boy hate him.

"Alright. I will came back to meet you at the end of your mission then. I fear my little brother won't be at all glad to find you gone, but if you make the most of this mission, perhaps he will find it easier to deal with."

Naruto nodded, curling up against the man's warm, solid chest.

"I hope so. He was hurt a lot when you left…"

"Yes…He was hurt, but at least he was alive. I'm still grateful that the Hokage granted me at least that much. He was innocent. Sasuke has not deserved the suffering placed upon him."

The blonde snaked his arms around his beloved, sending his silent support.


	2. How to Save a Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go wrong during the fight on the bridge.

Haku's reflection stares out at the two boys from the sheets of ice that made up his simple yet elaborate Ice Prison. Though he, himself, was unharmed, blood flowed freely from the many cuts adorning the two boys' skin.

"I have my own dreams…as you have yours…Please try not to resent me, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes…to protect the one I care about most…to fight, kill, or die to fulfill that person's dream. To that end, I will become a true shinobi…and I shall kill you both."

Naruto and Sasuke both smirked, though the blonde was very impressed with this boy, whoever he was.

"Sasuke! Naruto! Don't you dare lose to a person like him!"

"Stop encouraging them, Sakura!"

"Hunh?"

Kakashi's face was remorseful, though it was plain to see that he had already accepted the most likely outcome.

"Even if we knew of a way to counter his technique, your teammates still wouldn't be up to the task of defeating that boy."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

Confusion was clearly written over Sakura's face. Both ninjas had their attention drawn to Zabuza as their enemy started laughing evilly.

"Heh heh heh heh heh…Those two haven't yet developed the psychological strength…to turn their hearts to ice and take a human life. That boy has lived with the kind of emotional anguish that prepares him to be a true shinobi." Zabuza's eyes took on a maniacal glint. "No true shinobi could ever be born of a place like your village, a place of weakness…of peace. You don't live with death, or grow up needing to kill to ensure your own survival. In you those skills-and the mindset they require-die stillborn!"

Sakura's face now portrayed horror and worry.

"Kakashi-sensei…what can we do?"

A moment of silence passed over the battle field before Kakashi spoke, his cool tone directing his words at Zabuza.

"You'll forgive me…if I put an end to this…!"

Kakashi gripped his forehead protector with one hand and brought the other up before his face to protect himself from an attack. His opponent scoffed.

"Heh heh…Going to use the sharingan? What a vulgar maneuver. So obvious, so lacking in finesse!"

As the two ninjas prepared themselves for battle, a great shudder ran through the bridge, nearly toppling everyone on it.

"Wh-what was that?"

Sakura's panicked cry barely even registered with the two jounin as they cast around for the source of the disturbance, already knowing it hadn't come from either of them.

"Tazuna! Could the architecture of this bridge e unsound?"

"Impossible! Even with this amount of damage, the bridge wouldn't have any problems! Whatever that was, it wasn't my bridge!"

"Shit!" Kakashi's mind immediately flickered to the Kyuubi. Could it have started to get out somehow? Was the seal damaged? "Naruto!"

The four turned to where the boys were fighting, only to realize with horror what the actual cause of the disturbance was. A giant wave crashed towards them along the bridge. As huge and powerful as it was, the wave was clearly unnatural. However, its source was not immediately identifiable. Then again, the ninja's had slightly more pressing issues on hand than finding out where the wave came from. It was almost upon the boys. Zabuza leapt towards them.

"Haku!"

Kakashi reacted quickly and grabbed his arm, holding the mercenary back.

"It's too late to reach them! They'll have to manage on their own! Sakura, get Tazuna out of here! We'll be right behind you!"

The boys noticed the wave at about the same time as the others did. They barely had time to react before the wave crashed into the Ice Prison. The ice sheets shattered, sending razor sharp shards in every direction.

Sasuke felt something solid hit him and then his back hit to concrete ground of the bridge. Before he had time to react, the wave had swept other them. The crash of the wave knocked him senseless, though he could tell that a direct hit would have easily left him unconscious. However, the lack of air would no doubt take care of that soon enough. Squinting his eyes open underwater, the younger Uchiha realized it was Naruto on top of him. Before he could be annoyed at the blonde's actions, he noticed the glistening shards of ice sticking haphazardly out of the boy.

'He… _saved_ me…'

In his moment of horror, the Uchiha felt a twinge in his eyes. Unbeknownst to him, his emotions had triggered the activation of his Sharingan. Unfortunately, it was now too late for it to do any good. Suddenly, Naruto's weight was snatched off of him by the current.

'No!'

Sasuke tried to swim after the blonde, but the water seemed to push down on him, keeping him in place as he watched Naruto being swept away. The raven haired boy reached out after his friend as his vision waved and unconsciousness took him.

Kakashi and the others were almost to safety when the wave overtook them. With his sharingan still activated from before, Kakashi cast around desperately for a way that they might escape. However, the water was pressing down of them with such force that they could hardly move. As he twisted around, the silver haired ninja saw Zabuza being yanked away by the current.

Because of his sharingan, Kakashi saw the water had wrapped itself around the mercenary and was dragging him off. The criminal seemed to struggle at first untill the air was pushed out of him and he lost consiousness. Whatever this wave was doing, its purpose wasn't just random destruction.

As the wave died down, Kakashi struggles to his feet. He gazed around wildly, trying to locate his comrades. Sakura and Tazuna lay sprawled a few yards to his right, the young kunoichi also trying to regain her footing somewhat. Zabuza was nowhere in sight.

Gripped by a sudden panic, he raced to where the boys should have been. He found only Sasuke lying on his back in one of the many puddles that were now all over the bridge. He hurriedly knelt beside the raven.

"Sasuke! Sasuke, are you alright?"

The boy sputtered and opened his eyes groggily.

"Are you alright, Sasuke?"

The boy nodded slowly.

"Sasuke…I need you to pay attention. Try and remember what happened. Where's Naruto?"

Suddenly, the Uchiha's face crumpled and, despite himself, he began to cry.

"He's gone! He's gone and I couldn't do anything!"


	3. A Snake in the Grass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto encounters the individual who stole him away from his friends.

Naruto groaned as he slowly regained consiousness. He hurt _everywhere_. How did he hurt himself this badly? What had even happened? It took a moment before everything came rushing back into his pounding head. The wave, the shards of ice, jumping in front of Sasuke. He couldn't remember anything after that. He must've passed out.

Blinking his eyes open, he found himself staring up into the face of a white haired young man with glasses. It took Naruto only a moment to realize the man was bandaging his injuries.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Kabuto. I work for Orochimaru-sama."

"Who?"

"You'll meet him soon enough."

Naruto was suspicious of the way Kabuto had dodged the question, but he decided tp let it go. There was nothing the blonde could do about it at the moment anyway. He doubted he'd be able to move properly again until at least tomorrow. Leaving the young man to go back to his work, Naruto took in his surroundings.

They appeared to be in a stone corridor, definately underground. Haku and Zabuza lay still unconscious a few feet away. What appeared to be two medic nin were checking them over and taking care of them. To Naruto's untrained eye, they looked pretty unharmed. At least they weren't all cut up like he was. Were they all being taken captive? Where were Kakashi-sensei and the others? Had they not been taken?

Haku's mask had been removed and he was lying facing Naruto. It took the blonde a moment to recognize him as the boy from that morning. It seemed like a lifetime ago already. Looking back on it now, Naruto saw that this revolation made a great deal of sense. However, the young ninja had other things to worry about at the moment. He turned back to Kabuto.

"My team, are they here too?"

The white haired ninja tied the last of Naruto's bandages and stood up.

"No. Orochimaru-sama had no use for any of them at this time."

"What? No use?"

Naruto attempted to stand but the pain in his legs and back was too much. He gasped loudly, his teeth clenching and his entire body tensing up from the jolt. He bit his lip so hard that blood trickled down his chin. Kabuto smirked down at him.

"The other two will be waking shortly and Orochimaru-sama will be here soon. He'll want to pleasure of explaining everything to you himself. Why don't you just be quiet for now. It's not like you have a chance of escaping."

Glaring at the man, Naruto only now took notice of the fact that he had been disarmed. He had little doubt that the same treatment had been given to Haku and Zabuza. If only he weren't so injured, then he'd still stand a chance.

The blonde bit back a moan of pain as the two medics who had been working on Haku and Zabuza lifted him into a wheelchair. At least now he knew they wouldn't be staying here long. They had just finished settling him in when the other two captive began to wake.

Reacting instantly, Zabuza threw one of the medics into the wall as Haku reached for his senbon needles. Unfortunately, just as Naruto had predicted, both ninjas found themselves weaponless. The rage was clear on Zabuza's face.

"That's enough of that, I'd say."

Everyone in the corridor whipped around to see a pale man with long black hair and purple marks around his eyes striding towards them.

"Who are you? Where are our weapons?"

"Patience. My name is Orochimaru. Your weapons were removed simply as a precation. They will be returned to you as soon as I can be sure you won't use them for something…unpleasant."

The man smiled, though Naruto could not discern even the barest hint of friendliness in it. It was an expression he was extremely familiar with back in Konoha and it sent a shudder down his spine. Only the cruelest, worst torturers wore that expression.

"Now come. Let us talk business."

Orochimaru turned and started back the way he came, leaving them with no choice but to follow. Kabuto pushed Naruto's wheelchair just behind his boss. The blackhaired man's movements were beginning to remind Naruto distinctly of a snake, which kind of creeped him out. Zabuza, as to be expected, retained his hostile manner.

"What kind of business?"

"A man of your talents is wasted working for someone like Gato. He has no knowledge of the shinobi way. I, on the other hand, could use you much more effectively. I know how the life of a shinobi is meant to be. I know the pain that makes a true ninja out of the many pitiable creatures who attempt it. I remember the graduation test that used to be in place in Kiri. Besides, the fringe benefits of working for me are much better." The ex-kiri nin raised a nonexistent eyebrow. "I pay better than anyone else you could find and I value initiative. That's hard to come by these days. Plus, there's nowhere else where you can find so many other people who are fully willing to share any techniques. Being in my employment is an excellent chance for you little…puppy to learn to be more useful to you in the future."

Zabuza continued to glare at the man's back.

"You mean of more use to YOU in the future. I'm not brand new to this business. You can talk to me straight. In fact, you should. It pisses me off when people beat around the bush."

Orochimaru smiled sickeningly again.

"Very well, that won't be a problem. However, I'd like to wait until you and I have the opportunity to discuss this in more detail. There are a few things I'd like to take care of first…"

He looked over his shoulder to gaze at Naruto, sending a shiver down the blonde's spine. He got the distinct feeling that something was going to happen that he really wasn't going to like. However, he knew better than to try and make a huge, loud production. That was something only his persona would do and if he stuck with that, it was entirely possible that neither he nor his persona would make it out of this alive. Haku's eyes bored into him from behind and he knew the other boy was wondering what had happened to the joker guy.

As the group traveled farther down that hallway, a dull roar rose up ahead of them. It sounded somewhat like a large crowd in some sort of stadium, like at a soccer game or something.

"Where are we going?"

"Ah, my little Naruto-kun, you shall see soon enough. You're going to love it!"

The man's enthusiasm did not make the blonde feel better in the least. In fact, it filled him with even more dread that before. That dread grew as they moved closer and closer to the growing screams of the crowd. The sound was changing, at least to Naruto's sensitive ears. It was a sound he recognized, a sound he recognized from his days in Konoha.

It was the sound of a crowd enjoying the pain of another being. He'd heard it many times before as villagers crowded around to beat and humiliate him. His eyes widened and his breathing picked up. This couldn't be happening. He'd barely avoided death before just to be killed now before a crowd that was going to enjoy his pain. He should have gone with Itachi when he'd first offered.

They stepped out into a bright, loud stadium, about half-way out. The arena in the middle had high walls and a dirt floor. The crowded rows were full of lowlifes and wanted criminals of all classes. Naruto recognized a few from the bingo books, but most of them just had the look of someone who didn't make an honest living. They were shouting and cheering at the pair of figures in the arena.

The two boys were young, about Naruto's age, and they were in the middle of a bloody fight. Blood was splattered all across the floor, soaked in so much in some places that the blonde was sure that these types of fights had been going on here for years. One of the boys darted forward and used his sword to cut the other's head clean off, causing a chorus of cheers and moans to rise up from the crowd.

"I've had this place for a few years now and it's proved to be well worth it. You see, the spectators bet on which contestant they think is going to win. We get to keep the money of everyone who loses. It's very profitable." Bile rose up in the back of Naruto's throat as Orochimaru smiled down at him. "Naruto-kun will be our newest contestant. After all, I built this place just for him.

Welcome to The Arena."


	4. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faced with the reality of Naruto's disappearance his team must do everything they can to get back to the village and alert the Hokage of what happened. Even worse, Itachi discovers what happened.

Kakashi pushed open the door to Tazuna's house and slipped inside. Blood was seeping through the makeshift bandage on his arm and he sported a large about of other, smaller wounds. His two remaining students jumped towards him anxiously. After all, he'd been gone for three days. The old bridge builder watched him from the table with calculating eyes.

"You're hurt. What happened? All you said was that you would be back."

"It's nothing, just a scratch."

Sakura gazed up at him with worried eyes.

"What happened, sensei? Where'd you go?"

The pinkette's worry was contrasted by Sasuke's stoic unemotionalism. After his emotional breakdown right after the wave, the Uchiha had retreated into a shell. As far as Kakashi knew, he'd barely spoken a word since.

"…I killed Gato…"

The words were flat, without emphasis, but they had an astounding effect of the room. Sakura gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth. Old man Tazuna shot to his feet.

"WHAT?"

A glimmer of happiness shone in his old eyes, pushing aside the depression of losing the blonde boy for just a moment. Sasuke, on the other hand, turned livid.

"How could you? What if he had something to do with that wave? I mean, Zabuza and Haku were taken, too! Now he's dead and we won't be able to find Naruto!"

"Sasuke!" His tone demanded silence and the Uchiha reluctantly obeyed. "Don't you think I know these things? I made damn sure that he had nothing to do with their disappearances before I killed him. I would never put finding Naruto in jeopardy. My dogs couldn't pick up any scents after the wave hit so our only choice is to turn back to Konoha and inform the Hokage about what has happened as soon as possible. He cares for Naruto as much as any of us. He'll make sure the best trackers in Anbu come out and search for any sign of Naruto, Zabuza or Haku. With Gato dead our mission here is done and we can get back quicker."

Sasuke tched and turned away, but he knew Kakashi was right. The last Uchiha was taking Naruto's disappearance harder than any of the others. He was even more cold and withdrawn that before. Inari scoffed from near the stairs.

"What's the big deal? You ninjas die all the time. He said he'd save the day, but it turns out he was just a liar, too."

Before anyone could blink, Sasuke had whipped around and slammed the boy into the wall. Tazuna jumped forward, but Kakashi already had him, grabbing him before the Uchiha could do any damage. Still, he struggled desperately in his sensei's grip.

"You have no idea what you're talking about! He saved my life! He jumped in front of me and took that hit that would have killed me!" Sakura gasped and the others in the room were equally surprised. This was news to them, Sasuke hadn't told any of them. "That's the only reason he was taken! He got hurt protecting me! He couldn't fight!"

The boy broke down then, crying and sagging in Kakashi's arms. The jounin quickly recovered from the shock of the revelation.

"Sasuke, that wave was being controlled by a powerful source. I saw it suck Zabuza away against his will and I know he was stronger than Naruto…it's not your fault. Whoever was in control of that wave wanted Naruto for some reason. Even if he hadn't taken the hit, there's no way he could've gotten away." The boy nodded, but tears still streamed down his face. "Now, Tazuna, with Gato dead there should be no more threat to you or your bridge."

The old man cut him off.

"Don't worry about it. That boy deserves to be found. Get on back to you village and make sure that Hokage of yours gets the best damn ninjas you've got to go after Naruto." He huffed. "And you better let me know the minute you find him. I need to beat some sense into that boy, getting snatched up by waves!"

Kakashi gave a small smile, though no one could see it under his mask.

"Thank you. We should get going then." He released Sasuke from his grasp and the boy stumbled forward a bit. "Get your things, both of you. The sooner you're ready, the sooner we'll leave."

Both young ninjas nodded and dashed to get their things. Luckily, Kakashi's were still packed from his assassination and hung heavily of his shoulders. He sat heavily at the kitchen table and forced his muscles to relax for what little time he had. Infiltrating Gato's headquarters hadn't been easy and getting back to Konoha wasn't going to be a walk in the park either. He'd be pushing himself and his students to their limits.

Time was vital to being able to find Naruto and get him back. Kakashi's assassination of Gato had already taken long enough. Though he didn't want to admit it, even to himself, the jounin knew that it could already be too late to get the blonde back alive.

Sakura and Sasuke rushed back to him, packs at the ready. Sasuke had Naruto's with him too. Kakashi didn't have to ask. He already knew there was no way the boy was going to leave that pack. The ex-anbu member stood.

"Alright. Let's get going."

-*Two Days Later*-

Itachi sat in the woods outside Konoha, his legs crossed and his eyes closed. He wasn't meditation, but it sure looked like it. His awareness was spread about the area around him as serenity engulfed him. His mind and soul were completely at peace.

Soon, when his blonde got back from his mission, they would leave together. They would flee the Akatsuki and Konoha, the entire ninja world. Somewhere far away, they would find a place no one else knew about and settle down. They would be together in peace there, no one to disturb them.

His keen ears brought him back to the present as he heard leaves crunching under his partner's feet at his approach. Standing in one fluid motion, he turned to face Kisame without opening his eyes.

"..Naruto's team just got back…"

Itachi could hear the hesitation in Kisame's voice. He didn't want to say goodbye either. They had become friends during their time in Akatsuki.

"Itachi…Naruto isn't with them…"

Now, Itachi's eyes snapped open, sharingan spinning madly and melting into Mangekyo.

"And I have some more bad news…Hatake Kakashi seemed pretty hurt…There must've been a big fight or something. I don't think Naruto just snuck off to come meet us…"

"Naruto…"

"Itachi…Naruto's gone…"


	5. Fight For It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you want something, to stay alive perhaps, you have to be willing to fight for it.

It took several long, agonizing days for Naruto's wounds to heal. The glass shards from the explosion had severed a few of his muscles, punctured internal organs, and done all sorts of other nasty damage. Truth be told, if it weren't for the Kyuubi, Naruto would have died. The pain had been especially excruciating as the Kyuubi knitted everything back together.

He'd been writhing in his cell for what seemed to him like ages, but he was able to at least loosely keep track of the time by when his meals were delivered to him. They weren't much, a weak broth with some stale bread and cheese, but Naruto was usually so hungry that he didn't mind too terribly. It was always Haku who delivered them and though he didn't wear the shackles that we attached to Naruto's limbs, the blonde was sure that the apprentice was bound just as tightly.

When Haku brought food, he would also check to see how Naruto's recovery was going. Sometimes, when Naruto pretended to be asleep, he would kneel beside the boy's cot and apologize over and over again. A few times, Naruto would have sworn the other was crying. It didn't take long for the blonde to realize the Kiri-nin felt sorry for him.

True, it could have all been some elaborate rude, but Naruto couldn't fathom what they could be getting out of it. Besides, he sensed the sincerity in the other boy. Unfortunately, Naruto learned all to quickly what Haku felt so sorry about.

It happened as soon as Naruto finished healing. Haku and Zabuza arrived at his cell after his evening meal had already been delivered. Their appearance in and of itself made Naruto apprehensive, but the look on Haku's face worried him even more. The blonde eyed them suspiciously as Haku began to undo his chains.

"What're you doing?" His voice was rough and a bit husky. It was the first time he'd spoken since his first day there. It was Zabuza who answered him.

"Orochimaru wants you to start your training immediately now that you're healed. His instructions were for us to come and collect you."

"Training?"

Haku looked at his feet in discomfort and the silence stretched on for a minute. Zabuza glanced at the doorway as if it would give him the answer he needed and apparently it did.

"Time to go." His voice was colder now, more unfeeling.

Haku stood reluctantly and Naruto followed suit, his bad feeling growing with every passing second.

"Follow us."

The two mercinaries led Naruto down numerous stone corridors that all looked the same. It would be so easy to get lost in the maze of similarity. Many doors lined the hallways, all locked and bolted from the outside.

'This is a prison," thought Naruto as he eyed the doors, 'and I am far from the only inmate.'

Naruto followed the other two untill they reached another cell, though this one had no furnishings and the door had been left open. One of the walls, facing opposite the door, had a line running down the middle of it from ceiling to floor. Zabuza gestured as it before rattling off some instructions impersonally.

"You are going to go through the opening when the two halves separate. You are not to stay in the room unless otherwise directed. If you disobey orders, you will die; painfully and most likely quite slowly."

Naruto scowled.

"My, Zabuza, aren't we just cheery today?"

The man smirked, albeit a bit forlornly, before turning to leave. Haku through one last worried look at Naruto before they exited the room and the door swung shut heavily. Naruto sighed and leaned against the wall beside the door.

Orochimaru wanted him for training, huh? It seemed to strange. He'd kidnapped him, held him prisoner, and now wanted to train him? There had to be a catch; a horrible, sick, and sadistic one. Plus there was still that arena that Naruto had seen when he'd first arrived. He shuddered at the thought. Was he being trained to fight in that place? He certainly hoped not…

Suddenly, a loud rumbling announced that the wall opposite Naruto was splitting apart and moving to the side. After a moment's hesitation, he stepped out…right into his worst nightmare.

Bright lights glared down onto the sand-floored pit. Crowds leaned over the lip to get a better view. Dimly, Naruto heard an announcer come on the speaker.

"I give you Lightning, folks! This young ninja is our newest contender! This is his very first fight in The Arena but his stats are looking pretty good! Please turn you attention to the display screens for details!" Screens mounted on the walls showed Naruto's picture, accompanied by the name Lightning and a brief description of his abilities. Naruto himself wasn't paying much attention. The announcer continued. "Facing off against Lightning is our crowd pleasing favorite, Dog! This savage beast has only been around for a few months but we haven't been disappointed yet!"

An opening much like the one Naruto had come through appeared in the wall on the other side of the stadium and a figure emerged. From the roar of the crowds, Naruto assumed it was his opponent.

The boy was dirty, with matted black hair and long, jagged finger nails. He snarled at Naruto, revealing teeth that had been filed into points. He wore no shoes and instead balanced on the balls of his feet, ready to spring or retreat at the same time. His eyes were wild and hungry for violence as they settled on the blonde. The name Dog seemed to suit him well, though Rabid Dog might have been better. The crowd went wild as the announcer came back on.

"Our collectors will be stationed at all the central locations as well as coming up and down the aisles. Place your bets and let's see some blood!"

At the final words, the boy sprang at Naruto, tackling him to the ground and biting viciously into his shoulder. His razor sharp teeth sank easily into the skin and tissue. The crowd went wild as Naruto shrieked and blood spurted, staining the sandy floor.

Another strangles yelp escaped the boy's mouth as he shoved the other off him, causing the teeth to rip out of his shoulder none too gently. It felt as though white fire was burning it's way through Naruto's shoulder.

Dog growled and leapt at him again, snapping his jaws menacingly. Naruto threw himself out of the way, barely able to avoid the other's charge. Eyes wide and becoming more and more panicked, Naruto desperately cast around for a way to escape, to get out of this wretched arena. There wasn't one.

Taunts and jeers rained down of the two fighters from the crowd above. Most were directed at Naruto and were along the lines of "Stop running and fight, you pussy!" Naruto ignored them as best he could as his fear slowly allowed him to fully comprehend his situation.

This was kill or be killed. He couldn't run forever.

Dog pursued the blonde furiously as the other scrambled to stay out of his reach. The darker's nails caught the terrified boy's clothes and skin, tripping him up and adding more, smaller fires to the one already ravaging his shoulder.

The boy fell with a cry of utter agony as his wounded shoulder struck the hard-packed ground, taking the brunt of the blow. Dog was on him in a second, snapping at his face. Instinct was the only thing that let Naruto respond.

His fist slammed into the side of Dog's face, throwing the other boy off. Suddenly, it was as if everything was perfectly clear in Naruto's mind. He knew exactly what to do.

He flipped on top of his opponent, pinning the other's arms to the pit floor with his knees and straddling his chest. His hands reached down and wrapped around Dog's neck, squeezing. The boy under him struggled desperately, but Naruto was barely affected by it.

Two minutes later, Dog was dead.

Orochimaru grinned sickeningly down from his exclusive section in the audience. He had been right about the blonde boy.

He was a born killer.


	6. Face Thy Self

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto recuperates from his fight and faces his actions.

"I killed someone…"

Naruto lay face up on the bed in his cell, just staring aimlessly at the ceiling. He wasn't really seeing it, too caught up in his own inner turmoil. He spoke to no one; he didn't need to.

His shoulder had been bandaged along with his other wounds sometime after the fight. The hours that had passed since Dog's death where a blur to the young blonde, he was too caught up in those final moments.

Seconds from his own death, Dog has stopped struggling. He lay still as Naruto choked the last of his life from him. Then, at the last moment, he smiled. His final breath was used to utter 'thank you.' The sceen played over and over in the genin's mind.

Ignoring the ache of his shoulder, Naruto lifted his hands to hold them above him in the air. In his vision, blood dripped down them, even though he hadn't actually spilt any blood in the battle. Dog's dying gaze flashed before him, full of desperation, fury, and sorrow. The blonde's eyes snapped closed in an attempt to shut out the image, but it did no good. If anything, it just enhanced the details. Those eyes continued to stare at him.

Thankfully, someone opened the door to Naruto's cell and banished the image from the tortured boy's mind, at least untill he was alone again. Haku entered silently and set a tray of food down beside the blonde. When he spoke, his voice was kind.

"Come, Naruto. Eat. You must be hungry."

Naruto's eyes turned to look at the other, emotions drained and emptiness creeping in. He had neither the energy nor the inclination to keep up his mask at the moment. There was silence between them before he sat up and took the food numbly. He wished Itachi were there…

"Haku…am I…a terrible person?"

Another silence enveloped the two as Haku thought carefully about his answer.

"No, Naruto, you're not."

"But…I killed someone…"

"Yes, but the murder is not on your head. In this, you are as much a victim as Dog was. You had no choice and only did what you had to in order to survive. Orochimaru is the true murderer, the real terrible person. He is the one responsible for all of this. You are no worse than the rest of humanity."

A light of hope shimmered in Naruto's eyes before dying out again at the mention of humanity. He dropped his gaze to the tray in his lap, noticing for the first time that there was something different about it. The stew was thick and hearty, with chucks of meat, and the bread looked fresh instead of days old. He looked up at Haku in confusion. The other boy seemed reluctant to answer his unspoken question though.

"…For each fight you win or when you achieve a new status level, your conditions will improve. That's how this Arena works. Orochimaru rewards the strong and destroys the week. You will constantly be put up against stronger and more experienced opponents. There are those here who could challenge jounin and win. There are those who could defeat Zabuza and me when we are working together. More than that though, Orochimaru has developed some sick fascination for you. He believes he can turn you into something terrible. Because of that, you will have it harsher here; more fights, more often…I'm sorry, Naruto…"

The kiri-nin looked close to tears at the blonde just nodded numbly, attempting to absorb the new information being thrown at him so suddenly. His wounded mind was having trouble wrapping around the idea of more fights and more killing. Finally, he looked up at Haku forlornly, a look that broke the other's heart to see.

"How do I get out?"

The simple question made the feminine boy's eyes soften with sadness and depression.

"Zabuza and I are looking, we don't want to be here either, but so far we haven't been able to find a way. I will let you know when we find something and Zabuza and I won't leave without you…just promise me one thing, Naruto."

Hope glimmered in the boy's eyes again.

"Anything."

"Win. Win all your fights so you can stay alive, but, whatever you do, please, please do not fall into the game of this place."

"The game?" (Yeah! The one that you just lost!)

Haku looked away, not being able to look at Naruto as he explained. He was too ashamed. He had learned in his rough life that darkness lurked in even the brightest of people, but he still didn't want to believe that there was darkness in the boy before him.

"Some of the other…participants here…most of them actually, are swept into the game of these fights. They enjoy performing for the crowd and killing their fellow inmates. Naruto, do what you need to in order to survive, but don't get swept up in the game. I couldn't stand to see you that way. It wouldn't be you."

'But you still think I would…'

There was a pause as neither of them spoke and Haku began to worry that he had offended the blonde. Before he could apologize, though, Naruto reached out and set a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. Haku snapped his head up to see that Naruto was beaming at him.

"No worries there, Haku. You've got yourself a promise."

A smile stretched across the other's face, too, relieved and glad to see Naruto getting back to his old self. He stood and turned towards the door.

"I guess I'll leave you to it, then. I'll be back later to collect your dishes."

Naruto watched him go before beginning to eat, his grin disappearing as the dead look returned to his eyes, turns out he could still pull a convincing mask together after all. Haku couldn't see through it like Itachi would have. The thought of his lover dropped the blonde back into a depression.

After only a few bites, Naruto found that he couldn't stomach even looking at the food anymore and set it unceremoniously on the floor, not caring that some slopped out. He leaned back against the wall his bed was set next to as stared up at the ceiling again.

Haku's words replayed in his mind. The other boy thought he would become what Orochimaru wanted him to be: a terrible, killing machine. Then there was what he had said at the beginning of the conversation, that was horrible. No worse than the rest of humanity, huh?

Flashes of his memories played before Naruto's eyes.

_His heart pounded erratically as he ran down the streets of Konoha. Men chased after him for a local bar. They had seen him passing by on his way home and given chase. The villagers shouted dirty names and curses after him as he fled. He wasn't fast enough though and they caught up to him, beating him mercilously._

Naruto had been six years old. If a passing anbu ninja hadn't heard to commosion of the way back from his mission, the boy wouldn't have lived. Still, he knew the ninja had only saved him out of obligation, not because he was a helpless child. His next memory began to play.

_He was cornered in an alley way by three guys. One held a switchblade in his hand, flicking it around teasingly._

_"So, little demon, how're you going to get out of this one? You're a slippery little brat, always managing to escape by the skin of your teeth. Well, that won't happen this time. We're going to butcher you like a pig."_

_Howling with maniacal laughter, the man who was in charge of the little group lunged at the boy and slashed him across his chest. The young blonde cried out fiercely in pain before he was backhanded by one of the other men._

_"Shut up, brat."_

_"Hey, pick him up. Hold his arms behind his back."_

_As the other two men held him, the third stabbed him in the stomach with his knife. Then he did it again, and again. He stabbed the sobbing child six times before a dark figure appeared behind him and sliced him in half, his blood spurting in a fountain of red. The man's two counterparts soon followed him into a bloody afterlife. The shadowy figure approached Naruto as the boy lost consciousness._

He had been 10 that time. His savior had been Itachi, the only person besides the old man to actually treat him like a person. He had woken up in his own apartment with Itachi taking care of him. It was not then that they became lovers, but there was an undeniable attraction between them. Itachi had nursed the young blonde back to health and then disappeared one day without a trace. Naruto wouldn't encounter him again for seven months…

_"Help me, please…somebody…"_

_The sobbing just-turned-11-year-old boy dragged himself through the mud and the grime of the streets as he tried to reach his home. His legs were dead weight and were mangled and twisted at unnatural angles. Each rock and pit in his path sent agony through the young boy, yet no one who passed him would even give him a second glance except to sneer and him or laugh. Old and young alike passed him by. It was late, and no children were out, otherwise some mother might have helped him just so her children wouldn't have to see the gore of his mangled legs._

_Foot by foot, Naruto was painstakingly dragging himself back to the small apartment the old man had provided for him. It was still such a long way to go, how was he ever going to make it?_

_Suddenly a man with brown hair and darkly tanned skin knelt down beside him. Naruto tensed in preparation for another attack. Great. This was just what he needed._

_"I'm going to pick you up and carry you. It's probably going to hurt. I'm sorry, but there's no other way."_

_Stunned, Naruto just nodded dumbly and let the man pick him up. The pain was terrible, but he just grimaced, refusing to cry out._

_"You're a strong boy, Naruto. You'll do well in the ninja world."_

_The young boy stared up at the man in wonder. Why was he complimenting him? It's was so strange to hear nice words coming from a stranger. Suddenly, Naruto realized they were back at his apartment. It should have taken much longer and he'd never told the stranger where he lived. His wonder quickly turned into suspicion._

_"Who are you?"_

_The stranger smiled._

_"Don't worry, Naruto. I'm not going to hurt you. I just couldn't let the villagers see my face. I'm not very popular, you know."_

_The stranger was enveloped in a poof of smoke, revealing his true identity to be Itachi Uchiha._

Itachi had once again gotten Naruto beck to health. However, their relationship deepened with that visit and after that he was never away for more than three months at a time. Still, the violence of the villagers lingered in Naruto's mind.

If he was no worse than the rest of humanity, then there was certainly reason to be concerned. But there was still the chance of escape. Haku and Zabuza were looking and even if they didn't succeed, Itachi would rescue him. He always did.

The blonde curled up on his side, tears coming to his eyes and running down his cheeks as he thought of Itachi. He hugged himself tightly as he drifted into a fitful sleep, trying to imagine they were really the arms of his lover.

*one week later*

It only took a week for the Kyuubi to almost completely fix Naruto. His shoulder was the only thing left a bit stiff. A pearly white scar in the shape of teeth stood out starkly against the tan skin of his shoulder to show where Dog had bitten him. The scar would never fade. The blonde looked up as Zabuza opened the door to his cell.

"Come. It's time for another fight."


	7. The Trail of Evidence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi tries to figure out what happened to Naruto.

More than a week had passed since Kakashi and his team had returned without the blonde, and there was still no sign of Naruto. Itachi was getting desperate. Three anbu teams had been sent out to find him but so far there had been no word.

By spying on Cell 7, the older Uchiha brother was able to piece together what had happened during that dreadful battle on the bridge. The revelation that the kidnapper was going after Naruto in particular caused the raven a lot of worry. It was looking more and more likely that his blonde was most likely in a truly terrible situation.

Then there was the issue of the giant wave. There was no way it could have been caused by even a moderate-level ninja. Unfortunately, Itachi didn't know enough about the subject to make a more accurate guess past that. He needed to consult Kisame.

Turning away from his view of Konoha, the raven headed back towards their camp. Kisame himself had been worried about the young blonde. The two had met on occasion and got on pretty well.

It took only a few minutes for Itachi to reach the campsite and find Kisame waiting for him.

"Any word?"

"Nothing direct, but we may have a valuable clue. There was a giant wave involved in the kidnapping. Shall I show you? You would be able to best estimate who would be capable of such a feat."

Kisame nodded and prepared himself.

"Proceed."

Itachi activated his sharingan and pulled his partner in Tsukiyomi. Once they were in the Uchiha's personal world, he conjured up the wave he had pulled from Sakura's mind. As soon as they had seen everything Itachi released the jutsu, not wanting to hurt his friend. The fish man came out of the experience a bit winded and sat heavily with his back against a tree. Itachi sat beside him as he waited for the other to think through what he has seen. He would speak when he was ready.

"This is…very surprising. Whoever took Naruto had to be an extremely powerful ninja, as I am sure you've already figured out, but at least powerful enough to be in the Akatsuki. Creating the wave itself would take a lot of chakra, but to control the currents like that…I'd be able to manage it, I believe, but I've never encountered this particular technique before. All the similar ones I know are on a much smaller scale. That much water would require not only borrowing from the local sources but creating water straight from the moisture in the air. It'd be extremely difficult and hasn't been done before to my knowledge. Someone had to make this technique."

Itachi scowled, he was beyond displeased. The situation for his blonde was beginning to look worse and worse.

"So we are looking for someone with a lot of power, who is very smart, and is looking for more power…"

Slight confusion colored Kisame's face.

"How do you figure that?"

"Naruto is a jinchuriki. I'm guessing that's why he was kidnapped. Whoever it is most likely wishes to use him."

Kisame nodded in agreement, dropping back into thought. Itachi sat silently, knowing that if he spoke it would disrupt the other. Minutes passed before his partner spoke again.

"Off the top of my head, I can think of three names that are likely. I would have included Pein, but he would have just sent us after Naruto and there would be no reason for him to want Zabuza and Haku."

Itachi nodded, just wanting to get on with it.

"And the others?"

"There is Kazumi, a rogue who used to cause a lot of trouble in the water country. No one has heard from her in a while though. She might be dead, or she could have just been planning something new. There were rumors at one point that she had connections to Zabuza, long lost lover or something. There's also Saru Inuzuka. He was originally from Konoha but defected a while ago, so he's got a grudge. I'm not sure if he, himself, could pull off the wave, but he has the connections to find someone else to. He likes swordsmen, so he probably would have taken Zabuza to work for him. I just don't understand why he wouldn't have killed the rest of the team."

He hesitated then, not really wanting to go on, but he did. It needed to be said.

"Lastly, there's Orochimaru."

Itachi stiffened, a fire smoldering in his eyes. His hate for the other man was clearly evident.

"He wouldn't _dare_."

His voice was a low growl.

"I'm just saying, he has the power and the inclination. It's probably my least favorite alternative."

"You and me both."

As Kisame looked at his partner, he hoped for Orochimaru's sake that he hadn't been the one to take Naruto. Of course, whoever had was in for a grim fate anyway. The raven surprised his partner by suddenly speaking.

"Ok. I doubt that Konoha will reach these conclusions for a while. We need to start eliminating the possibilities. You said that Saru likes swordsmen, right? I want you to go and infiltrate his organization to find out if Naruto is there. I will use my contacts to get a message to Konoha and then go check out the lead on Kazumi. Let me know if you find anything."


	8. Chapter 8

Naruto stepped out into the arena as the announcer rattled off his statistics. Once again he was first one on the field. He felt Kyuubi's growl rumbling deep inside him. Because of all the healing, the two had a much stronger connection than they usually did. For at least the next few days, Naruto would be able to hear the Kyuubi speaking to him in his mind.

'I feel like an idiot dog, caged and forced to fight for the amusement of others…'

Naruto rolled his eyes.

'We pretty much are. The human condition can be pretty scary sometimes, eh? People like this make me sick.'

'Yes…I seem to distinctly remember getting indigestion from this sort as well.'

This drew a chuckle from the blonde, despite their situation. Kyuubi had a grim sense of humor, but it fit with Naruto's well. A rumbling alerted them that their opponent had arrived.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome Willow to the Arena!"

The crowd went wild as a tall, thin boy stepped out of the shadows. His limbs were spindly and looked as if they would snap under the slightest pressure. Naruto wondered how he had lasted so long. His hair was a muted black, almost grey, and his eyes were calculating.

He's obviously survived by his wits. The calculating look reminded him of Shikamaru. Maybe it was homesickness, but his last opponent had reminded him of a friend, too; Kiba. Naruto knew that if this guy was anything like Shika, he was in for a rough fight.

He watched warily as Willow stalked towards him.

"You are not quite like my usual opponents, drenched in bloodlust. Are you new?"

Recovering quickly from the surprise of having the other speak to him, Naruto nodded.

"This is my second fight here."

"Ah. A pity. I am sorry, but this will be your last fight as well. You will die here."

Though he's known it was coming, the statement still sent a chill through the blonde. A growl from Kyuubi rose in his mind.

"I'm sorry, too. Why do we have to kill each other? I don't want to fight you."

"Neither of us will be allowed to leave the Arena untill the other is dead. If we refuse to fight, wild animals will be released to tear us to shreds." Willow slipped into a fighting stance. "You see, we really have no choice."

Quick as lightning, his leg flew up and he kicked Naruto in the side of the head, sending him to the ground.

'Get up, kit! You must not let him catch you on the ground!'

Naruto rolled and jumped to his feet, barely avoiding Willow's fist. A sickening grin formed on the other boy's face.

"I WILL kill you. After this fight I can move up to Weaponry. You won't stand in my way!"

He ran at Naruto now, throwing punches and kicks at a frightening speed.

'I can lend you my strength, kit, but you need to start fighting back.'

Naruto ducked to avoid a punch and stumbled back.

'But this is so wrong! We shouldn't be fighting! I-'

'KIT!'

The roar in his head made Naruto jerk with surprise. Will chuckled darkly and took advantage of the pause to land a punch in his face, sending the blonde reeling backwards. The blonde's back struck a wall and he realized he was trapped.

'You moron! If you don't fight, you will DIE, I will DIE! You will NEVER see Itachi again! This isn't about winning or losing! It's about LIFE and DEATH! If you lose here, it's OVER! No do overs!'

Willow drove his fist into Naruto's gut and a sharp pain told him he'd been sliced open. Blood dripped from his fingers when Willow pulled back. Naruto noticed for the first time that his nails were long, pointed, and razor sharp. He swayed unsteadily, hand on his wound. Kyuubi spoke to him urgently.

'Fighting back doesn't make you a monster. Those men in the stands are the monsters, Orochimaru, too. You must live, Naruto. LIVE.'

Willow threw another punch, but the blonde beat him to it. Naruto's fist slammed into the other's face, breaking his nose and sending blood cascading down him face. The crowd hollered as the red liquid gushed down Willow's front. Naruto swung a kick at him, sending him stumbling backward.

"Sorry, I'm not ready to die yet."

Willow grinned.

"Guess this is going to be more interesting than I thought!"

They clashed again, more ferocious this time. Naruto punched him in the stomach, payback for earlier, and Willow took a swipe at his throat, leaving four deep cuts right by his scar from Dog. The blonde hissed in pain and moved back a couple steps. Willow dipped low and tackled him, digging his shoulder into Naruto's stomach wound.

The crowd's fervor was building, loving the true fight that had begun. The blonde hit packed dirt hard, stunned. Willow moved quickly, sitting heavily on his chest and pinning the blonde's arms with his knees.

"Hahahah…nothing you can do, Blondie. You mine now, and I'm taking my time…"

Reaching out with one razor sharp finger Willow traced along each of Naruto's whisker marks, slicing the skin open and letting blood flow. The cuts were this but deep and stung like Hell. Naruto twisted his body desperately but it seemed impossible to throw the other boy off.

Laughing joyously at his captive's predicament, Willow continued to trace delicate designs on Naruto's face. Blood streamed from the cuts and down Naruto's neck. Panic and fear bloomed like wildflowers in the Uzumaki's chest. Was he going to die here after all? Had his resolution to fight, to kill, been for nothing?

'Snap out of it, kit. We can get out of this one.'

'How?'

'Well, twisting your torso around like you're having a seizure obviously isn't working. THINK! Use your legs. They aren't just there for decoration, you know.'

Getting the idea, Naruto rocked his hips, pressed his shoulders in to the dirt and swung his legs up high. Wrapping them around Willow's face he pulled down and slammed the back of the boy's head into the ground. Disentangling himself from the mass of limbs, the blonde stumbled back to his feet.

Willow, too, righted himself in seconds, no giving Naruto an opportunity to attack.

"Pretty good move, kid. I wasn't expecting that. But now the real fight starts. I'm not playing anymore."

Naruto flicked blood out of his eyes and stared in horror as Willow's body began to shift and change. His limbs seemed to distort and lengthen. Cracks stretched across his skin as it hardened and darkened to a grey-brown color.

"W-what the Hell?"

A laugh ripped it's self from the brunette's lips.

"This is my kekkei genkai…and this is where you die."

Leaping forward, Willow thrust his hand into Naruto's stomach just above the previous penetration points, his fingers lengthening to wicked points and stabbing all the way through the blonde's body.

"Guh…uh…"

Naruto stumbled back, ripping Willow's talon-like hands from his body. He coughed and blood dripped from his lips, splattering onto the ground.

Almost in slow motion, Naruto drew forward again and grabbed onto Willow's bloodied wrist, the darker frowning at the strength the blonde still possessed.

"I…I told you…I won't…die here!"

Acting on instinct and channeling Kyuubi's energy into his free hand Naruto thrust his hand forward…and right into Willow's chest. Grabbing onto the other's heart, the blonde pulled his hand back out.

Willow stared at the organ in Naruto's hand with shock written all over his face. Taking a trembling step forward, the boy stumbled and fell.

A roar rose from the crowd as Naruto was declared the victor, but he barely heard it. Losing strength fast, he fell to the ground beside the boy he'd just killed. Blackness encroached on the edges of his vision as he saw medic nins rushing towards him.

He vaguely registered Kyuubi yelling at him as he lost consciousness.


	9. Chapter 9

Naruto faded in and out of consciousness, catching little snatches of what was transpiring around him before fading back into the black void.

_He heard the clickity-clack of his hospital bed being wheeled down a corridor, each bump and swivel sending pain shooting through his body. Lights passed overhead, shining way too brightly. Why did they have to make the lights so bright? He felt like he was sinking, being pulled down into the blackness._

_He was back. The light was blocked. A tall man who looked like a doctor was towering over him; he'd stopped moving. Turning his head to the side, he could see Willow's dead body on the bed next to his. That was weird…did they think they could save him? A nurse appeared beside the doctor and Naruto felt a sting right above his elbow. He was fading out again._

The next time Naruto woke, he was lying on his stomach in his cell. No one was in the room and he could feel thick bandages wrapped around his torso. He tried to turn over but froze as intense pain flared across his back. A shrieking cry of agony ripped itself from his lips.

It felt like he was choking, drowning in the pain. The blonde bit down on his lip and tasted blood. He writhed in an attempt to make the pain stop, but only succeeded in falling off the bed. New levels of torment shot through his back, increasing ten-fold. God, it hurt so much!

Naruto knew pain. He knew it well, but this surpassed even his high tolerance levels. He dimly registered Kyuubi trying to talk to him somewhere in the back of his mind, no doubt trying to calm him down, but he couldn't make out what he was saying. His entire being was consumed by the fire raging on his back, burning everything it came into contact with.

The pain made his muscled automatically tense, but tensing only made the pain worse. It was a vicious circle that went round in endless torment. Through the pain, Naruto could feel the Kyuubi's chakra permeating his back, beginning to heal him. But healing took time and all that Naruto could focus on now was the pain.

It engulfed him, burned him, and tore him apart. Seconds ticked by like hours untill eventually the darkness returned, affording Naruto with some temporary relief.

He regained consciousness hours later, the only indication was that the pain had lessoned. Someone had entered his cell and moved him back onto the bed, into his original position. This time he did not try to move.

'You're awake.'

'Kyuubi…'

'Before you ask, I don't know exactly what they did to you. I can only see what you see and with you unconscious that wasn't much. They made an incision along your back and injected something into your spine.'

'You don't know what it is?'

'No, but I do know that it won't kill you. You are too precious to Orochimaru's plan. He wants to use you for something, no doubt about that, and he wouldn't risk you dying now.'

'How much have you been able to heal me?'

'Not as much as I'd like. Spinal damage like this would normally leave a person crippled…Scratch that, a normal person wouldn't have even survived the surgery. You're probably the only person who could. Besides that, whatever they injected you with has been affecting your cells; my chakra has to adjust to the change. Hopefully, I'll have you healed enough by tomorrow that you'll be able to sit up my yourself and walk around a bit, but don't push it. By 'walk a bit' I mean hobble around with support.'

Naruto drew a deep, shuddering breath.

'Kyuubi?'

'Yes, kit?'

The blonde suddenly felt very young as he struggled not to let his emotions get the better of him. He could feel the pressure of tears in his eyes and tried to blink them back. He had to be strong.

'I'm scared.'

'Oh, kit…'

A warm sensation enveloped him as his vision momentarily darkened, coming back to him moments later only to reveal the dankness of the Kyuubi's cell. The demon fox himself was close to the bars, a saddened and worried look on his face. Naruto stepped through the bars as he had many times before and settled against the fox's flank, letting himself by encircled by one of his companions enormous tails.

At least here he could escape from the pain. Here he was not affected by what was going on with his body in the outside world. He'd hid away with the fox more than once after a particularly vicious beating by the villagers. The fox was a source of comfort for him, second only to Itachi. He absently stroked the fur of his prisoner-turned-guardian and friend.

"Naruto, we will get out of this, have no doubt about that. Orochimaru believes that he can control you, turn you into a killing machine, but he is making the same mistake as so many others before. He's underestimating you. All of your experiences have made you stronger and more determined to meet your goals. There is nothing her can do to change your nature. You will overcome anything he tries to throw at you. It is what you do, after all. You tend to live your life as a perpetual wild card."

He smiled fondly at the youth lying against him. A bitter chuckle escaped the blonde's throat and he buried himself further into the familiar warmth of the Kyuubi's fur.

"Thank you…Kyuubi, can I…May I stay here for a while?"

"This is your mind, Naruto. As far as I am concerned, you can do whatever you want."

*/.\\* SHARINGAN PAGE BREAK! */.\\*

"Uchiha…It certainly has been a long time since I've seen you. To what do I owe the pleasure of a face to face meeting?"

Itachi slid easily into the bench beside the white-haired elder. The legendary toad sage munched lazily on his stick of dango, but a keen observer could see the tension in his frame. Both parties knew only the most serious of situations could bring the Uchiha to a physical meeting between informant and mission supervisor. He was much more comfortable sending messages through his crows.

"You must know by now that Naruto has disappeared."

"Yes, I heard. Sarutobi wasted little time informing me. Was Akatsuki involved? Your partner controls water, correct?"

"There was no involvement from the organization." His eyes flickered to his companion. "You know I would not allow any harm to come to Naruto."

"You always were the best at protection missions, even if this one is self-assigned and off the books." The elder winked. "Technically you're only supposed to be passing my information about the Akatsuki. Speaking of which, if they aren't involved, why are you here?"

"I have information as to who might have taken him. The three most likely candidates are Kazumi, Saru Inuzuka, and Orochimaru. I have my partner checking out Saru and I'll be leaving this mission to check into Kazumi."

Jiriaya eyed his younger counterpart for a moment.

"So you are leaving Orochimaru to me."

"For the time being. Rumor has it that Kazumi may be dead or otherwise incapacitated. I am hoping to eliminate her as an option in a relatively short manner. With Kisame handling Saru, I will be able to then turn my focus solely on Orochimaru."

"About that, are you sure you can trust Kisame? I hate to sound hypocritical, but he _is_ a member of the Akatsuki."

"There is nothing to worry about. I have come to know my partner quite well and am assured that his loyalty lies closer with me than with Akatsuki. He has a thirst for battle and going up against strong opponents. He only joined the organization for the chance to do such things. Their goals hold no interest for him. He has helped me with my tasks for Konoha more than once in the past and has met Naruto on several occasions. The two seem to have taken a liking to each other and I believe Naruto to have an excellent sense of a person's true nature."

"Very well, I trust your judgment, Itachi."

He clapped a hand on the raven's shoulder as he stood.

"It is good to know you were able to find a friend even in a place like that. If anyone deserves one, it's you. I will get started on information concerning Orochimaru. I try to keep a pretty constant eye on the bastard so it shouldn't be too hard to look a little closer. The snake is so arrogant that he hardly tries to hide anything anyway."

Itachi nodded in response as he stood as well.

"I will contact you in four days. If I do not have my answers about Kazumi by then, expect one of my crows. Otherwise, I will meet you in Konoha myself."

"Your usual hinge?"

"Indeed."

With their arrangements settled, both ninjas took off.

*/.\\* SHARINGAN PAGE BREAK! */.\\*

"What the hell do you mean they couldn't find anything?"

"Sasuke, calm down."

The Uchiha grumbled but went quiet at his teacher's command. What remained of cell 7 stood gathered in the Hokage's office along with the two Anbu teams assigned to find Naruto. Sarutobi himself sat behind his desk, worry and exhaustion lining his face.

"As I was saying, nothing to point towards who took Naruto or where he may have been taken could be found at the bridge. I have, however, received word that Jiriaya has heard some reliable information through his network and is now headed here. He asked that I hold this meeting before he gets here so no time is wasted."

He paused to allow time for questions but continues when none were forthcoming.

"It is time for you to learn the truth about Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto is a jinchuriki, a living prison for a demon. Most specifically, he holds the Kyuubi nine-tailed fox."

Sakura gasped as her hands flew to her mouth and Sasuke stumbled back a step, shock all over his face. Sarutobi continues as though they had no reaction. Better to give them an opinion than to wait for them to formulate their own.

"Naruto is a hero of this village, though many are unable to see it. He keeps the Kyuubi at bay. Were he to fail at that duty, we would have the demon fox back on our doorstep. Many of the villagers do not understand the pressure that is constantly upon his shoulders. There are those who even believe him to be the embodiment of the Kyuubi."

"I've seen it." Sakura's trembling voice brought her to the center of attention. "The villagers always glare at him. I always," she sniffled, "I always thought it was because of his pranks. I never would have guessed…"

Kakashi placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. Sarutobi nodded to him in thanks.

"The mistake was partially my fault. I chose to withhold information about Naruto that could have improved his image among the villagers…You see, his true name in Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto. He is the son of Namikaze Minato, our fourth Hokage." This time shock registered throughout the room. "Not even Naruto himself knew of his lineage. Minato had many enemies who would be more than happy to take it out on his son. I tell you this because it is possible that one of these enemies has caught wind of our secret and took Naruto for that reason. You will all be working with Jiriaya to find Naruto and I would like that everyone keep an open mind."

There were nods around the room. Sasuke and Sakura both appeared to still be struggling with the information they'd been given, but they Hokage had no doubt they would be fine. He just wasn't sure how they would react to the news he was about to give them.

"Lastly, I would like to introduce you all to Sai." At the sound of his name, an emotionless boy entered the room and came to stand beside the Hokage's desk. "Sai is a member of our ROOT operation and is highly skilled. He will be acting as a part of cell 7."

"WHAT?"

Rage colored the Uchiha's face, banishing the confusion that had been there prior. Sarutobi held up a hand to forestall his argument.

"This is only untill Naruto is found and brought home. I cannot allow you to operate a man-short, especially on a mission as important as this one."

The Uchiha grumbled but backed down.

"Good. Now, Jiriaya will be arriving later tonight. Meet here at 7 o'clock tomorrow morning. Dismissed."


	10. Chapter 10

"Come. It's time for another fight."

Naruto gaped at Zabuza, disbelief coloring his every feature.

"You can't be serious!"

Haku crossed the tiny cell to help the blonde stand.

"I wish we weren't…But Kabuto cleared you to fight. He said that with Kyuubi's accelerated healing you'd be just fine."

"Yeah, we can see how well _that's_ working."

He leaned heavily against Haku as they made their way down the many corridors.

'Kit, we talked about this yesterday. I haven't had enough time to fully heal you.'

Naruto winced as pain shot up his back.

'Oh, really? I hadn't noticed.'

'Don't get smart with me. We have much bigger things to worry about, like how we're going to _survive_.'

'Uh, yeah. I'm still trying to figure that one out.'

'Well, I would suggest figuring _faster_.'

Naruto huffed inwardly and turned his attention back to his escorts.

"So…any chance I could maybe get out of this? I don't know, call a rain check or something?"

Zabuza just gave him a hard look. It softened moments later, though.

"Orochimaru believes you can survive this fight, hurt or not. I'm not sure what it is everyone keeps seeing in you, but it apparently sends the message that you can do anything." He glanced up and down the corridor before discreetly closing his grip around Naruto's arm. "I personally don't have that kind of faith in you. I'm afraid this is all I can do for you in this situation, though."

Naruto's eyes widened as he felt chakra seeping into him.

"Zabuza…"

"Don't say anything and for the love of God _don't_ thank me. This whole this in already irritating enough as it is."

Naruto looked down to hide his smile.

"What's wrong, Zabuza? Afraid of some little, old feelings? Just admit it. You love me, don't cha?"

"Less and less by the second."

Naruto laughed, his spirits lightened by their banter, before sobering up again.

"…I will not forget this."

The swordsman scoffed and looked away. Naruto flexed his hands, feeling a small boost in strength. Zabuza would probably never know how much his gesture helped. The Kyuubi was linked to Naruto in such a way that their chakras were fully intertwined. By healing his container, the demon fox pulled on both of their chakras, often leaving Naruto feeling drained. Zabuza had provided an alternative source to replenish that energy. Still, the group reached their destination much too soon for the blonde's liking.

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

The two nins left as Naruto waited for the wall to open and send him head first back into his worst nightmare.

Itachi glowered as he trudged through the streets of Kiri, trying to find the bar kisame had tipped him off to. The Devil's Den had been a long time haunt for Kazumi while she had been at the height of her powers. The bartender and owner was still the same and it had been suspected that he knew of her current whereabouts.

Finally Itachi spotted the glowing red lights of the DD's front ahead. The region's characteristic dampness was making the night's cold that much more unbearable. The door chimed as he entered but none of the other patrons looked up as he made his way to the bar. He had swapped out him Akatsuki cloak for a plain black cloak so as not to draw as much attention.

He signaled for the bartender as he sat on one of the tall stools. Dark wood with gold accents gave the place a warm feeling, much different that the town outside. The bartender was a portly, older gentleman with snow white hair and an easy grin. Both his white, button up shirt and his apron were spotless. He leaned on the counter in front of Itachi.

"What can I get for ya?"

"A White Russian. And a shot of the strongest thing you've got."

"Ah! That'd be the Devil's Teardrops! We make it right here on site." The man's chest puffed up in pride as he poured the drinks. "It'll take the flesh right off your skull if you're not careful."

Itachi knew it probably wasn't a great idea, but with everything that's been happening he felt like he deserved it. Besides, despite popular belief, he could actually hold his liquor quite well. The bartender set the drinks down in front of him. The Devil's Teardrops was a golden mixture with just a hint of red. He threw it back without hesitation.

The liquor burned its way down his throat and all the way to him stomach. A pleasant taste like honey was left in its wake, smooth and full-flavored just like any good alcohol should be. The bartender watched him expectantly.

"It's fantastic. You know your stuff."

A grin split the man's face once more.

"Well, I'll be damned! It's been a long time since I've seen someone take that shot without so much as a grimace! The congratulations, my friend, go to you." Itachi inclined his head in thanks. "What's your name, son?"

"Itachi. And yours?"

"Everybody calls me Paulo. I own this joint. So what brings you to Kiri, Itachi?"

The Uchiha took a moment to sip his White Russian, the vodka and crème washing away the earlier burn. Now that he had confirmation on the man's identity he could move in to what he really wanted.

"I am looking for someone."

"Oh ho! A lost lover perhaps?"

Behind Paulo's joking tone and waggling brows, Itachi could see his eyes narrow suspiciously.

"Something like that. I'm looking for information on the whereabouts of Kazumi. I heard she used to be a patron here."

The man's face darkened considerably.

"When you finish your drinks you can get the Hell out of my bar."

The man turned to leave but Itachi's hand shot out to grab his arm.

"Wait. I have information about the recent incident with Zabuza…"

Three hours later found Itachi standing behind Paulo as the man knocked on the door of a house all the way across Kiri from the bar. A slot in the door slid away to reveal a pair of suspicious green eyes. They flickered from Paulo to Itachi.

"Who's he?"

"He says he has information about the Zabuza…incident. I thought it would be best to bring him."

The slot slid back into place and the sound of at least seven locks being opened could be heard. The door swung inward to reveal the green-eyed man to be well built and at least six feet tall. Unlike many men his size, though, he seemed to give off an air of intelligence. He locked the door again behind them.

"Come with me."

Itachi and Paulo followed him through another door and down a long staircase. The corridor they came out in was unfinished, packed dirt floor and grey walls. Doors lined the walls periodically. The three walked in silence for about half an hour before the green-eyed man led them through another door.

This room had lighter walls and a table set in the middle of the room. Two more men sat at the table playing cards. A woman with long brown hair leaned against the wall opposite the door. Beside her was a curtain that hid the next room form sight. Itachi's gaze lingered on the woman leaning against the wall. Was she Kazumi? The green-eyed man cleared his throat to reclaim Itachi's focus.

"Now who are you and what do you know about the incident with Zabuza?"

"My information is for Kazumi-san, not you."

The man looked angry, but a soft voice from the next room cut him off before he could make an exclamation.

"He raises a valid point, Rama. Bring him in. I will see him."

The man, now known as Rama, scowled but pulled the curtain to the side anyway. Itachi entered without hesitation, finally feeling like he was getting somewhere. The room smalled strongly of incense and candles flickered on every available surface. A bed sat against one wall, piles of pillows and blankets nearly obscuring the slight woman who lay upon it. She sat up as he entered. Her movements were stilted and awkward, but she was too obscured for Itachi to make out the source.

"Well, well, well…Itachi Uchiha…I must say I wasn't expecting it to be you coming to me with news of Zabuza."

A faint smirk flitted across her features.

"Yes, well, I must admit a small ulterior motive."

"I wouldn't believe anything less. You were quite new to the criminal scene when I went underground. You must be almost as famous as me, now."

"If you had stayed in the game, I would have had no hope of catching up to you."

Kazumi tittered with laughter.

"Don't try to flatter me, Uchiha. It happens to be my greatest of weaknesses. But it hardly matters. Circumstances as they were, I was taken out of the game."

Though it was not the information he had originally came for, Itachi found his curiosity piqued.

"I see…I won't ask what happened."

"Yes, you're not asking quite loudly. Come here." As he drew closer, she threw off her blankets with her left arm. "It happened during a fight with a brat from Iwa."

Both her right arm and leg were mostly gone, only stumps left behind. It was an unrecoverable loss to a shinobi. Without her arm, Kazumi would never be able to perform a jutsu again. Ever calculating, Itachi's mind began to formulate a plan.

"You have my condolences."

She motioned for him to take a seat on the edge of her bed, which he did.

"Nevermind past troubles, we all have our crosses to bear. Tell me what has become of Zabuza. We communicate rather regularly but all contact ceased several weeks ago."

Itachi nodded.

"Zabuza was working for a man named Gato in the Land of the Waves when he encountered a genin team from Konoha. Buring a fight, a giant wave swept over the battlefield, taking him, his subordinate Haku, and one of the genin with it. None have been heard from since."

"But you believe them to be alive?"

"I hope so. I am tracking down leads and trying to find them."

"What interest do you have in Zabuza and Haku?"

Suspicion flickered across her face for the first time. Itachi felt it was best to be truthful.

"Quite honestly, none. If it weren't for…other factors in the situation, I would not be involved at all."

A smirk flitted across her face now.

"Aha…So it is the genin who interests you. My, my, Itachi, I never pegged you for a cradle robber. What's her name?"

"…Naruto."

Surprise and perhaps a bit of embarrassment passed over her expression.

"So the great Itachi Uchiha swings for the other team. Women everywhere will weep for their loss."

"Shall we ge back on topic?"

Despite everything, the raven was beginning to feel a tad uncomfortable.

"Of course. What else do you know?"

"My sources determined three people who had the power to pull off the incident on the bridge, one of which was you. My partner is ruling out one of the other options, Saru, an ex-Konoha nin. The last option is Orochimaru."

Kazumi's face darkened at the mention of the snake senin's name and Itachi held her gaze as he asked his next question.

"Do you know what he might want with Zabuza and Haku?"

"I'm afraid not…I'm not sure what you know of our relationship, but Zabuza and I are like siblings. We grew up together. There was nothing we hid from each other."

The lack of motivation for taking Zabuza irritated Itachi, but he pushed it aside.

"Kazumi, back in the day you had an extremely extensive network of contacts. Tell me, is it still in tact?"

She paused a moment in thought.

"Some of those on the fringe have dropped off, but the core is still intact. Why do you ask? I can tell each move you've made has been to a certain end. Go ahead and lay it out straight. I'm tired of beating around the bush."

"Very well. I wish to use your network and skills to help locate and get back out missing companions. I do not expect you to do this without compensation."

"Oh, really? And what is in it for me, then? What have you to offer?"

"Firstly, the return of your companions. But you would expect that anyway. So, I am willing to offer to fix your limbs. Full mobility will be restore to you up front by one of my associates."

The roar of the crowd was deafening to Naruto's ears. His opponent stood across form him, a girl by the name of Blood Rose. For some reason, he hadn't expected to encounter a female opponent. Call him sexist, but it made the whole thing seem much crueler.

She was tall and lean, possessing obvious strength. Her fiery red hair fell around her shoulders and framed a face with high cheekbones and piercing green eyes. She was older than Naruto by maybe five or six years. She frowned when she saw him.

"You're the new kid…You killed Willow, right?"

Naruto nodded slowly.

"How do you know who I am?"

"Word spreads quickly around here. Besides, I'm Assentation Supervisor. Generally I determine who fights who and how many fights each contender must win to pass of to the next class. But Orochimaru has been taking a more keen interest in you. He has been determining your fights personally. It is very unusual."

"What do you mean by classes?"

Surprise flitted across her features again.

"You don't know? Well, I suppose it doesn't matter at the moment. You'll be fighting soon. Tell you what, if you survive this fight, I will tell you everything you wish to know about this place."

Confusion crossed Naruto's face.

"But don't we have to fight to the death?"

The girl laughed.

"You won't be on the level to fight me for a while. Floor Supervisors are the best of the best here they answer to me. But we'll talk about that later. I'm just here to observe and, for a lack of a better word, grade your performance."

"So who am I fighting?"

"It's not so much a who as a what."

A rumbling sound alerted Naruto to a third door opening.

"Oh, shit…"

The creature appeared to be some sort of cross between a wolf and a jaguar. Golden eyes shone out of black fur with a red undertone. Powerful muscles rippled under its coat and it prowled forward, snarling. White fangs gleamed.

"Oh ho! You got Shiki! Good luck!"

The creature lunged at Naruto missing only by a hair as he threw himself out of the way. The creature reacted immediately to pursue him.

"What is this thing?!"

"His name is Shiki. He's what we call a Hell Hound, a genetically modified creature that Orochimaru-sama created."

"Oh, wonderful!"

Naruto grit his teeth as he jumped away again, already feeling a burn in his muscles from protest. Shiki was relentless in his assault and the blonde could feel himself quickly wearing down. Pain was shooting up his spine and had begun spreading throughout his body. Even his fingers and toes were tingling after about a minute.

His head was pounding with a fierce headache, like something was trying to break out of his skull. If he'd been able to concentrate, he would've seen the frown etched on Blood Rose's face. Throwing himself out of the way of Shiki once again, he caught sight of his arms.

"What the Hell?!"

His skin tone was about three times darker than usual, with tiny cracks covering the surface. The moment of distraction gave the Hell Hound just the opportunity it's been looking for and it sprang forward, sinking glistening white teeth into Naruto's hop. The blonde screamed.

Not releasing its grip on his flesh, Shiki began shaking its head to thrash him about. More screams of agony escaped from Naruto's lips as blood splattered across the dirt-packed floor, making the crowd go wild.

Frantic, mind consumed by panic, Naruto raked his nails across the beast's face. Howling, it let go of him and reared back, blood dripping from deep gouges. The blonde glanced down at his hands to see elongated, pointy fingers. That was when it hit him.

'Willow…'

'Finally. It's about time you figured it out.'

Naruto jumped at the sound of the other boy's voice in his head. He kept one wary eye on the beast now cautiously circling him as he continued his silent conversation.

'Why are you in my head?'

'That's something I've been trying to figure out myself. It must have something to do with that procedure Orochimaru performed. My hypothesis is that when he transferred my kekkei genkei to you I came along with it.'

'Okay…'

Naruto's confusion was palpable.

'I'll explain later. Right now we need to win this fight. Here's a basic rundown. My ability is wood-based. You skin can harden at will, as well as your fingers extending, retracting, and sharpening. Just think what you want them to do, and they will. Give it a shot.'

Moments later, Naruto's fingers erupted, extending to almost five feet long. Shiki jumped back, nearly as surprised as Naruto himself. Blood Rose seemed to be concentrating deeply, and not at all happy. But there was no time to worry about that now as an angry Hell Hound charged at him. Retracting his fingers, Naruto braced himself for the attack. The chunk that's been taken out of his hip wouldn't be letting him dodge about as he previously had.

Once Shiki was in reach, he grabbed it around it's neck and tristed his torso to bring the mutant down to the ground with him. The crowd was having a field day, but Naruto could barely think past the pain. Shiki thrashed against him, rubbing against the ninja's hip would until it's hind paw caught the lip of the torn flesh and kicked savagely.

Momentarily blinded by the flash of pain, Naruto lashed out aimlessly with newly extended talons, hoping to catch the beast's throat. He missed miserably. Instead, he'd opened a deep gash in the hound's hind quarters, nearly a mirror injury of his own hip. It crippled the creature.

Struggling to his feet, Naruto took note of his physical condition. His shirt was torn and splattered with dirt and blood. His right leg was soaked with blood from his hip wound. He must have looked like he'd been put through a blender. He certainly felt like it.

Nearly dragging his right leg, he advanced towards the fallen Hell Hound. As he drew closer, though, he hesitated. Shiki's growls had become whimpers and it struggled weakly to get away. Desperation shone behind intelligent eyes. It was the most human reaction Naruto had seen in an opponent since his arrival that The Arena and it struck a note within him.

He pulled his fingers back, returning them to their normal length, and collapsed next to the beast who reminded him so much of himself, force to fight and kill to live. Hands shaking, he reached out to touch Shiki's flank.

"You needn't worry. I will not kill you."

"You must, Lightning. There is no other option."

Blood Rose's words mirrored those being shouted at him from within his mind.

'Don't be a fool, kit! The mut isn't worth it!'

'Have you already forgotten what I told you? If you do not kill your opponent, wild animals will be released to slaughter you both! Just kill it!'

"I refuse."

Blood Rose gave him a calculated look.

"Very well. Release the dogs!"

One of the arena's walls split once more, now revealing four caged dogs, snarling and snapping in blind rage. Their eyes rolled wildly and foam dripped from their jowls. They looked positively mad.

"These dogs have had a seal placed upon them by Orochimaru-sama to turn them into killing machines. They'll attack anything that moves and they won't stop until you're torn to shreds. Good luck."

With that, she turned and retreated behind the cages to safety. Naruto pulled himself up to stand defensively in front of Shiki. He would not allow the creature to die, not if the blond could help it. Steel clanged as the cages snapped open. The dogs charged forward, their mad eyes focused on Naruto.

The first hit him hard, sinking it's teeth into his protectively raised forearm and knocking him onto his back. He bisected the creature with a lash of elongated fingers. He lashed out to skewer a second one before the third was on him. Jaws snapped mere inches for his face as he struggles to hold them back.

Moments later, the weight of the dog was lifted from him and thrown to the side. Wide eyes captured the sight of Shiki with the dog's corpse dangling from his maw, neck snapped. A quick glance to the side revealed the final dog to have been already killed. Positions reversed, it was not Shiki who approached Naruto with one bad leg dragging behind.

'Well, this is it,' thought Naruto. 'I'm going to be killed by the one I tried to save.'

The Hell Hound advanced slowly until he was right next to Naruto's side. He plopped down beside the blonde and placed a paw on his stomach, replicating exactly Naruto's earlier actions. Then he lifted his head to lick Naruto's cheek. Apparently, their bond went both ways.

A clang brought both attentions back to the gap in the walls and Naruto realized to his horror that his nightmare was far from over. More dogs were being brought to attack them. There was no way he was getting out of this one.


	11. Chapter 11

Itachi returned to the Akatsuki base only briefly after his meeting with Kazumi. It was enough time for Kisame to catch up and for Itachi to have a conversation with Sasori. The puppeteer was the only one in the organization that had maintained contact with Orochimaru, working as a double agent in the Akatsuki's interests. If anyone could find out quickly if the snake sennin had taken Naruto, it would be Sasori. Besides, Itachi had to talk him into crafting replacements for Kazumi's missing limbs. He had never been more grateful for the excuse of needing to track down one of the vessels for the tailed beasts. So long as he could use that excuse he could barter help from any of the members of the Akatsuki.

Kisame joined him just hours after his conversation with Sasori bearing the news that Itachi had already known was coming. There was no sign of Naruto or Zabuza within Saru's compound. They had officially ruled out all of the most likely options with the exception of Orochimaru. Things were certainly looking worse and worse for the raven's little fox. With that unfortunate revelation under their belts, Itachi and his partner set off to meet up with Jiraiya in Konoha. They'd visited the village many times before throughout the years since Itachi had struck up his relationship with Naruto. They didn't even have to discuss which hinges they would use. It was always the same.

Michio and Tadao Yukimura were two brothers who made a living as traveling merchants. With tanned skin and dark hair, they looked entirely alike except for the fact that Michio was slender while Tadao stood a head above everyone else and was built like a brick house. They didn't raise any eyebrows at the gates of Konoha, nor on the streets. No one looked at them twice until they actually stepped through the doors of the Hokage's tower and even then no one stopped them until they were outside of the very doors which led into the Hokage's office. The two Anbu flanking the door stepped directly into their path, but said nothing.

"Afternoon, gentlemen. You'll find the Hokage will be most eager to hear the information we have brought for her."

There was no response from the Anbu, and Michio could feel the irritation rising within him. He struggled to keep his face as impassive as possible.

"Jiraiya has been expecting us."

The Anbu continued to stare at them for a long moment before one of them disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Some of the tension eased in Michio's chest. It wouldn't be long once Jiraiya got involved. He knew, objectively, that the Anbu were just doing their jobs but he still had trouble seeing them as anything more than yet another obstacle standing in his way of finding Naruto and getting him back. Tadao's hand came up to squeeze his shoulder reassuringly.

"It'll be alright. We'll bring him home safe."

Michio was about to deliver a scathing retort when the doors to the Hokage's office burst open, forcing the remaining Anbu to jump aside if he didn't want to get hit. Sarutobi, flanked by Jiraiya and the Anbu who'd taken their message, stood in the entryway.

"I see you've finally arrived," the Hokage said fondly. "Welcome back. It has been far too long."

A smirk tugged at the edge of Michio's lips. Sarutobi certainly hadn't changed a bit since the last time he had encountered the old man. He and Tadao followed him through the door and into his office as the Anbu vanished once again from sight. The doors slammed closed behind them.

"So," Sarutobi said conversationally as he sat down behind his desk once again and moved to light his pipe, "I'd say you could go ahead and drop those henges."

"As you wish, Hokage-sama."

Twin plumes of smoke enveloped the two brothers before dissipating to reveal Itachi and Kisame without their disguises. They'd already discussed this inevitability. It would do them no good to be difficult. Besides, Sarutobi was already well aware of Itachi's true identity.

"What news do you bring us? Do you know where Naruto is?"

"As Jiraiya-sama has doubtlessly informed you, we had a list of the most likely candidates who would have taken him. Now, we have narrowed that list down to just Orochimaru."

Sarutobi seemed to almost deflate at those words, regret and sorrow seeming to physically weigh him down.

"You are absolutely sure?"

"As certain as we can be without seeing him for ourselves. We have an agent imbedded in his organization that is trying to make contact."

Sarutobi nodded absently, clearly not pleased by the news. Jiraiya coughed lightly before speaking.

"I've assembled a taskforce to look into Naruto's disappearance. We haven't gotten very far, though. There was no trail left to follow in Wave. I am hoping that your presence will procure quicker results, though maintaining your covers will be mandatory."

Itachi's eyes narrowed.

"Who is on the team?"

"A ROOT member, one of Danzo's spies. He's the most concerning to me, but Naruto's genin team has also been involved in the search."

"Sasuke."

A lesser man would have quelled in fear at the threat in that one word, but Jiraiya didn't even blink.

"He seems very concerned for Naruto, but I have no doubt that he would be instantly distracted by your presence. It's simply not an option."

Itachi glared, but his eyes remained as black as ever.

"He must never be made aware of the truth behind the events of that night."

"Itachi," Sarutobi interrupted. He looked far older than he had just minutes before. He looked tired. "Eventually, he will learn the truth, one way or another. You must accept this." He stood slowly and made his way over to the window, gazing out over his village. "There is so much in life that we cannot control. Struggling to maintain a grip will only hurt you more in the end."

"You will find, Sir," Itachi's tone betrayed no emotion, "that I have grown accustomed to pain."

"Be that as it may, we have larger concerns to deal with at the moment. Naruto must be our top priority, as I am sure you would agree." The old man slid Itachi a sly look as he pulled his shoulders back and straightened his spine. "Jiraiya will introduce you to the rest of the team dedicated to this mission. Any resources you need, you have only to ask. Kisame," the blue-skinned swordsman blinked in surprise at being addressed, "welcome to Konoha. I do hope you enjoy your stay."

"Um, thank you…sir."

Sarutobi chuckled good-naturedly.

"Don't act to shocked, my boy. If Itachi has chosen you to bear his trust, then you shall bear mine as well. There is no truer Shinobi than he. Now," he clearly wasn't planning to wait around for their responses, "I believe you have an appointment to keep. Best not be late."

With a parting wink, he returned to his desk and began perusing a scroll in clear dismissal.

"Well," Jiraiya stepped forward, wearing one of his signature grins, "let's meet the others, shall we?"

IUNUIUNUIUNUIUNUIUNUIUNUIUNUIUNUIUNUIUNUIUNUIUNUIUNUIUNUIUNUIUNUIUNUIUNU

Naruto couldn't believe he'd actually survived. He wasn't even really sure how it'd happened. One second he and Shiki were fighting for their lives and the next Orochimaru was calling a stop to the fight. The spectators hadn't been pleased, but Naruto supposed Orochimaru had never really gone through life trying to make other people happy. That wasn't really his style. This throne room, though, was totally his style.

Everything in the room was ornate and looked so fancy that Naruto would have almost expected to see it in the Hokage's tower. The walls and floor, though, seemed to have been made of dank concrete. The whole place felt cold and it sent a shiver down Naruto's spine. Orochimaru sat upon his gilded chair with Blood Rose on one side and Kabuto on the other. He and Kabuto seemed to be in the middle of a conversation when Haku and Zabuza dragged the blonde into the room. Some other guard Naruto didn't recognize was dragging Shiki along by a heavy chain. Both Shiki and Naruto were still bleeding from the fight. Orochimaru smiled upon seeing them.

"Ah, Naruto-kun, such a pleasure to see you again."

The term of endearment made Naruto's skin crawl.

"Wish I could say the same, but I'm pretty sure I'd be much happier to never see your ugly face ever again."

Naruto spat some of the blood out of his mouth to emphasize his point, but Orochimaru only laughed.

"I'm afraid you'll be quite disappointed them. You'll be here for quite a while, Naruto-kun. I see your stay has not stopped you from making friends, though."

Blue eyes darted toward Shiki, cold dread pooling in Naruto's chest. He was not an idiot. He could put two and two together.

"Are you going to kill him? Because we would not kill each other?"

Orochimaru rose from his seat and strode forward, hands clasped behind his back. He walked around Naruto and his guards in a slow circle and it was obvious that Naruto wasn't the only one put on edge by that fact.

"Usually, if two fighters refuse to participate, we allow them to be torn apart for the crowd's enjoyment. Never before, though, has one of my fighters actually managed to tame one of my Hell Hounds. This is quite the unique situation."

"So you're going to let us live?"

"Until your next match, at least. Your survival relies entirely upon yourself. If you are too weak, I will let you die without a second thought. Do not mistake my pardon this time as a guarantee that I will save you again."

"I wouldn't dream of it, sir," Naruto all but spat out.

Just because he wasn't stupid didn't mean he could completely ignore the anger and the fury that were coursing through his veins. What made this man think he had any right to control their lives? Orochimaru just grinned viciously at the boy's words.

"I wish to see how this bond between you and the Hound progresses, Naruto-kun. You see, I have always been a big fan of experiments. You will be promoted to Team level. Usually, we pair fighters up together, but I think your little pup will do just fine. Blood Rose," the girl instantly straightened her spine even more, "show Naruto-kun to his new quarters and explain his new privileges and responsibilities to him."

After a quick bow to her boss, Blood Rose relieved the guard holding Shiki's chain and led Naruto, Haku, and Zabuza from the room. They passed through the labyrinth-like corridors in silence until they reached a new cell. The room's walls were exactly like the ones from Naruto's old cell, but it had an actual bed with sheets and a pillow sitting neatly on top. The blond could do nothing but stare at the room in wonder.

He allowed himself to be led to the bed and sat easily on the edge. A few of his wounds from the earlier fight were still throbbing with pain, but the kyuubi's power had already kicked in to heal everything and he was feeling a lot better. Blood Rose removed the chain from around Shiki's neck and placed it on the foot of the bed. She shot a look in Zabuza and Haku's direction that clearly said they were dismissed. As soon as they were gone, the young woman sat down on the edge of the bed next to Naruto.

"Well, I did promise I would explain everything if you survived your match."

Naruto rubbed the heel of his hand against one eye. He was quickly developing a killer headache with this whole situation. Shiki sidled up to press against the blonde's leg and he reached his free hand out automatically to scratch behind the canine's ear.

"So what's with this whole thing about the levels?"

"The fighters are separated into four groups. Newbies are the lowest level and it involves just hand to hand combat, often activating or utilizing kekkei genkais and that sort of thing. The level after that is Weapons. I'm sure you can imagine what takes place there. There are a number of fighters who come in that don't have traditional training and that level serves as a chance to experiment and figure out what they are comfortable with. Then comes the Team level, where you are now. Warrior level fighters are the elites."

"Will I still be able to get ahold of weapons?"

"Certainly," Blood Rose answered, "but only during your matches. Do not get any bright ideas, Lightning. Others have tried to fight their way out before. They have only died for their troubles. You would have a far better chance attempting to survive the ring."

"Has any one ever actually managed to do it?" He knew it was probably risky to ask, but he had to know. "Has anyone ever gotten away?"

Blood Rose pressed her lips together in thought, tilting her head back so that she could stare up at the ceiling.

"There was one who came close. They called him Crimson Tide and he was a gifted fighter. He made it all the way to the level of the Elites before he attempted to make his escape…He was my brother."

"What happened?" Naruto asked in total captivation.

"I killed him." Blood Rose's face was a mask of indifference as she stood and headed for the door. "If you try to escape, I'll kill you, too. Your handlers will be by in a few hours to escort you to the cafeteria for dinner. Now that you have achieved Team level status, you get a whole new set of privileges." She gave him a once over. "I'll make sure they come by early so you can take a bath before being seen."


	12. Chapter 12

It was almost surprising how quickly time passed for Naruto within the Arena. Days, weeks, months; they hardly mattered. He couldn't keep track of any of them. Everything just passed in a blur, it seemed like one day bleed into the next without him even noticing. Naruto couldn't remember the last time he had been allowed to see the sky. He couldn't even muster up the energy to miss it anymore.

The fights continued, every time Naruto was finally healed from his wounds, and more than once while he was still recovering. Those, at least, had a predictability to them. It seemed Orochimaru had found a formula that he liked. Naruto would be forced to fight an opponent with a kekkei genkai, he would go through surgery afterwards, and then he would be forced back into the ring to fight more. Whatever the details of what Orochimaru was doing to him were, he was gaining kekkei genkais at an alarming rate. It made him sick to his stomach, disgusted with himself.

He had killed these people. They were innocent, even if they weren't particularly good. They were every bit the victim that he was. Now he used their abilities to kill more victims and heard their voices in his head like a constant buzz. He was never alone, the headache constant. In his weaker moments, he hoped that the pain in his skull was a sign that there was a major problem. Maybe it would kill him and he'd be free of this place. It was only thoughts of Itachi and getting free that kept him from just letting himself be killed in the ring.

Shiki helped keep his darker thoughts at bay, too. The creature was extremely loyal and never far from Naruto's side. He made Naruto feel almost human again. He clung to Shiki in the nights, when he had the strength. Kyuubi, too, provided a level of comfort. The other voices in his head had apparently opened the floodgate so that Naruto could hear the demon fox all the time now. One more voice to add to the collection and there were _so many voices._

Haku and Zabuza had noticed the change in Naruto's behavior as the voices had grown in number as well as volume. He now had a tendency to need things repeated, because he couldn't hear them the first time around and it was so hard to concentrate. He would stare at things that weren't there, just zone out into blank air as all of his attention was turned inward. He hadn't told anyone about the voices, but it was clear that there was something going on.

Orochimaru didn't seem overly concerned by Naruto's mental state being somewhat compromised, but he did apparently find it endlessly irritating how Naruto stuck to his moral code. It was always a struggle to kill his opponents, even when Naruto was clearly much more skilled. Shiki was almost always the one to do the actual killing, which Naruto found himself feeling endlessing guilty over.

When he was allowed to mingle, mostly only in the cafeteria, Naruto mostly kept to himself. Shiki wasn't allowed to accompany him since the Hound had attacked another of the inmates. It's been a girl a few years Naruto's senior who'd thought it was a good plan to try and take him out before he even got to an actual fight. A few more had tries the same tactic once Shiki was no longer with him, but it hadn't worked.

He'd made a couple friends at first, too, or alliances at least. Orochimaru hadn't liked that much. Those were the teams he'd faced off with first. The message was clear. Don't get attached. So Naruto stuck to his self-imposed isolation. Shiki was his only real source of companionship. Haku and Zabuza had little moments, here and there, but they were still clearly his guards. There wasn't much any of them could do. They were trapped. Trapped in this damn Hell hole with no way to get out.

At least people didn't mess with Naruto outside of the Arena fights anymore. They'd all learned just how dangerous he could be. If someone managed to sneak up on him, it wasn't even guaranteed that Naruto would be the one to react. One of the others in his head might just throw an overwhelming impulse at him and the next thing Naruto knew, he was standing over a mutilated body. Orochimaru really seemed to enjoy hearing about those incidents.

Naruto was rising in the rankings. He and Shiki were ranked the highest of all of the Teams but, for some reason, Orochimaru didn't seem to want to promote them just yet. Naruto had a sick suspicion that the snake just wanted to make sure Naruto got every kekkei genkai possible before they moved on. Naruto wished he could go into the Arena with Orochimaru as his opponent. The blond would actually _enjoy_ that fight.

.

..

…

..

.

"What did you learn?"

Itachi was wary of Sasori, knowing just how intelligent the other was. It was always harder to fool the ones who were smart. It was a good thing that Itachi's skills were so up to par. The puppeteer shifted a bit in his wooden shell.

"Orochimaru has always been one to play his cards close to the vest, as you well know. Considering his knowledge of our particular _interest_ in this matter, he was even less in a sharing mood than usual. He's definitely hiding something, though. I believe you can rest assured he has the Kyuubi host."

Itachi fought to keep his irritation off of his face.

"I cannot say it particularly assures me to know that my assignment is in the keeping of that man, no. Do you know where he is being kept? Which facility?"

"No. And I am not your errand boy. I have my own host to collect _and_ I have to craft those prosthetics you so helpfully volunteered me for. Unless my next orders come from our leader, you are on your own in this. I'd recommend just waiting until the Chunnin Exams. Orochimaru is planning something big to happen then. Chances are good that your host will be involved."

Itachi gave a sharp nod before vanishing and heading back to Konoha. The exams were only a month away, and Konoha would be hosting. It would be a great opportunity to get ahead of Orochimaru, to make preparations so that they could handle whatever was thrown their way. The thought of leaving Naruto in Orochimaru's clutches for any longer made his skill crawl, though. Naruto had already been missing for months. There was no telling what Orochimaru had already done to him, what he still could do.

Itachi should have just taken Naruto and run. He should have followed him on that mission. He knew how dangerous that Land of Waves could be. It wouldn't have been much hardship to tag along and remain undetected, even with a ninja of Kakashi's skill as a member of the party. Itachi would have been able to watch his brother just a bit more before they left. It would have been a great opportunity. But he had waited instead, waited for Naruto to come back to him. Only Naruto didn't come back.

Itachi replaced his hinge before approaching the village and snuck in without being seen. Sarutobi's taskforce for attempting to find Naruto had been set up in a building on the Uchiha compound and Itachi headed straight there. Apparently Sasuke had volunteered the space. His attachment to the blond was obvious and, if Itachi were being completely honest, a bit disconcerting.

In all of the times Naruto and Itachi had talked, the younger had never described himself and Sasuke as being particularly close. Naruto cared about Sasuke, to be sure, but Naruto cared about pretty much every living being he interacted with. The relationship between the two had always sounded a bit more antagonistic than anything else. Even with Naruto jumping in front of the glass shards to save Sasuke, which was an awful story for Itachi to hear, the newfound attachment on Sasuke's end seemed a bit odd. For the time being, Itachi wasn't focused on that, though. He would puzzle out Sasuke's emotional state once Naruto was safely back in his arms. He could not afford the distraction.

He slid open the door to the taskforce's headquarters and slipped inside. There was supposed to be a meeting that Itachi had skipped out on in favor of meeting with Sasori. It worked out well that they would now all be gathered in one place. He found them gathered in front of the charts and maps that tracked their investigation. Itachi gave a short bow as he entered the room.

"I apologize for my lateness. I was following up a lead."

"And did you find anything?"

Sasuke had not been particularly friendly to either of the 'brothers' who had been added to the taskforce. He seemed to be of the opinion that they did not belong and was even more sour when it came out that 'Michio' was Naruto's lover that no one on the team knew about. It was only Jaraiya and, surprisingly, Kakashi's assurances that Michio really was Naruto's lover that kept Sasuke from accusing him of being a spy. At least it kept him from doing it out loud.

"I did." Itachi did not acknowledge the doubt in his brother's tone. "I have a contact who has been infiltrating Orochimaru's network and I asked him for help. He's confirmed our suspicions. Naruto is there."

Sakura and Sasuke were the only ones in the group green enough to jump out of their seats at the news.

"We have to go after him, then! If we know where he is then we can get him out," Sakura exclaimed.

"It's not that simple."

"We'll _make_ it that simple,"Sasuke growled.

"Enough." Kakashi settled a hand on each of this students. "Sit down. We don't even know the details yet." He nodded to Itachi. "Please, tell us everything."

That was another odd thing, how politely Kakashi had been treating him since his arrival. Itachi wasn't quite sure what to do with it and he was glad to have his persona of Michio to hide behind.

"My contact was able to find out that Orochimaru _has_ Naruto, but not exactly where he is. Without that information, we're no better off than we were before. But there is hope. Apparently Orochimaru is planning something big very soon. At the Chunnin Exams, in fact. My contact believes that Naruto will be involved."

Sai's eyes narrowed.

"Your contact seems to have an awful lot of information."

Jaraiya scoffed.

"There's a reason Michio is one of _my_ contacts and I brought him in for this investigation. He can get information no one else can."

"And you're just a traveling merchant, huh?" Sai sounded skeptical.

"I meet a lot of interesting people that way," was all Itachi said in response. "Now, I do believe we have a lot of planning to get done. We don't have long."


End file.
